The invention relates to an improved system and method for automatically preparing client orders in a distribution facility, where the inputs to the system are complete pallets of cases of individual products and the outputs of the system are client order pallets of mixed products.
The standard and most common method of preparing orders of products is manual picking of orders by workers, where the source pallets are located in static racking and employees follow a circuit through the racking and individually pick products from the source pallet and transfer them onto a client pallet. There are a number of variations on this basic method.
There are several disadvantages to manual picking which have driven the development of automated systems, such as:                Low productivity;        Difficulty in finding or retaining labor in some markets;        Workplace injuries resulting from the inherently non-ergonomic task of manual picking;        High cost of manual picking errors;        Breakage and shrinkage;        Poor use of physical space.        
There are on the other hand several key advantages to manual order picking that have to be weighted when considering automation, such as:                Low capital cost (forklifts and racking);        High Reliability;        Easily scalable;        Product flexibility.        
Despite considerable intellectual property in the field and a healthy number of competitors, there is small market penetration for automated case order preparation. The key factors weighed when considering such systems are:                High cost;        Poor reliability due to high complexity;        Poor space utilization.        
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved automated case order sequencing method and system that can meet the cost, reliability and space utilization requirements of the market.